The assignee of the present application has developed an online application streaming service described in the co-pending applications referenced above. In operation, the application streaming service executes applications such as video games in response to control signals transmitted over the Internet from client devices. The resulting video generated by an application is compressed and streamed to the client devices, then decompressed and rendered on the client devices at low latency, such that the user of the application has the perception that the controlled application is responding instantly.
The popularity of tablet-based client devices such as the Apple iPad™, Samsung Galaxy,™ and HTC Puccini™ continues to grow. However, because user input is restricted to the graphical display of these devices, tablets pose unique challenges, particularly when used for twitch latency video games and other fast-action applications. The embodiments of the invention described below address these challenges. While these embodiments will be described within the context of an online streaming service (such as described in the co-pending applications), it will be appreciated that the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to use with an online streaming configuration.
In addition, entering text in a video game with a game controller is currently a cumbersome task. In a typical scenario, a user must navigate through a flat matrix of alphanumeric characters and select each letter individually. Embodiments of the invention described below provide improved techniques for entering text using a virtual or physical game controller.